Lee Nordt

Dr. Lee C. Nordt was appointed to serve Baylor University as interim provost effective August 1, 2026. As Baylor's chief academic officer, Dr. Nordt oversees the University's twelve colleges and schools, research enterprise, University Libraries, Museums, and the Press, as well as centers and institutes. 

Dr. Nordt previously served Baylor as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences from 2007 to 2026 -- the longest serving dean of the University's largest academic unit. Under his guidance, research productivity across the College increased and played a key role in Baylor achieving Carnegie Research I (RI) status. This research growth was accompanied by a continuous faculty commitment to the academic success of students and fulfilling the University’s historic Christian mission. During his tenure as Dean, Dr. Nordt also led the substantial revision of the Arts & Sciences core curriculum, which was honored as one of only 19 universities in the U.S. with an “A” from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA).

A graduate of Texas A&M University (BS, MS, Ph.D.), Dr. Nordt joined the Baylor Geology (now School of Earth and Environmental Sciences) faculty in 1996. While leading the College of Arts and Sciences, he remained an active scholar and researcher. A Fellow of the Geological Society of America, his research has focused on the areas of paleoclimatology, quantitative geomorphology, and the geoarchaeology of Mexico, Peru, and Israel. His research has been published in Science, Nature, and Nature Geoscience, among other journals. In addition, his research has been cited more than 5,000 times. 

Dr. Nordt and his wife, Kathy, are members of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Waco and associate members of St. John Lutheran Church in Brenham. They also enjoy visiting Harris Creek Baptist Church in the Waco area and Trinity Bible Church in Fort Worth (Aledo).